Learning to Pray with Power

About a month ago I read Daniel Henderson’s book, Transforming Prayer.  It’s an awesome book, and one that my pastor preached a series on at church a little over a year ago.  The basis of the book is that we must learn to seek God’s face before we seek His hand.  I will be the first to admit that until a couple of years ago, I had never given much thought to this idea.  I had also never really understood the power of prayer.  I don’t think that’s a coincidence.  I am by no means a prayer warrior, but in the past couple of years since my prayer life has deepened, God has answered so many prayers in my life, including the courage to change careers and the financial means to do so. 

Just before Thanksgiving I had a chance to meet one of my huddle leaders for coffee.  We talked a lot about how her school year is going and how the huddle is going this year.  We then started talking about her family and her siblings coming home from college.  She shared that she and her brother had always had somewhat of a strained relationship and that recently she’d kind of given up hope of having a good relationship with him.  Years ago, I probably would have just said, “Oh, give it time.  I’m sure it will get better.” But, armed with some new perspective on prayer, I asked her if she had prayed over their relationship.  She admitted that she hadn’t really considered that so together we prayed for forgiveness on her end, a softened heart on her brother’s end, and reconciliation for their relationship.  Believe me, I know personally that sometimes our prayers are not answered in the timing or manner that we’d like.  But I also know that God hears His people and desires unity among them.  1 John 5:14 says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

Recently I have become a fan of Annie Downs’ podcast, “That Sounds Fun.” It is, as you might expect, very fun, but also, super encouraging at the same time.  In one episode from a year or so ago, she interviews writer and speaker Eddie Kaufholz.  The episode is around 80% hilarious and ridiculous and 20% deep, where Kaufholz talks about his work with International Justice Mission and his own podcast, “The New Activist.”  He talks about how people often ask, “What is the most important or helpful thing I can do to support the work IJM is doing?”  His answer? PRAY.  It’s not a cop out.  We must believe Who God says He is and what His power can accomplish on this earth.  Of course, we can give financially to this amazing organization as well and become informed so that we can help raise awareness about human trafficking, but if we’re attempting to do all of this in our own power, we will fail. 

There is a chapter in Transforming Prayer where Henderson talks about why he believes we as Christians don’t pray more.  He lists several ways that, if he were the devil, he would use to prevent powerful prayer from happening among believers. “When [Christians] did try to pray together, I would make sure the prayer meetings were based more on human needs than on God’s power.  I would do everything possible to encourage boredom and gossip in these gatherings so that most people would stay away from these passionless ‘prayer’ times.”  This reminds me of commedian John Crist’s bit called, “I Aint Prayin for That”.  Although this is a more humorous take on the subject, it’s certainly true.  I’ve been in small groups before where the prayer requests stay so surface level and, while I’m sorry your cousin’s cat has a cold, there are children being sold as property in this world! 

Let’s be clear.  God is our loving Father and cares deeply about the details of our lives.  He knows the number of hairs on your head.  If that’s not detail oriented, I don’t know what is!  If you want to pray for your cousin’s sick cat, God absolutely hears that prayer.  But God’s power is so much greater than we give Him credit for most of the time.  As Max Lucado puts it, “Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”  And if we seek God’s face, perhaps by going to His word, before going to Him in prayer, it refocuses our minds and hearts on praying for what is truly on God’s heart: seeing lost people saved, lives transformed, and His Name glorified.  And He might even heal the cat too.